Track instrument



W J. COOK.

TRACK INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION HLED SEPL 51' I916. RENEWED FEB. B; 1921.

11x- VEN T OR. WILLIHMJ. CcoK.

. j BY 1 W1 T NESSES Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. COOK, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

TRACK INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

Application filed September 5, 1916, Serial No. 118,523. Renewed February 8, 1921.. Serial No. 443,490.

. useful Improvements in Track Instruments,

of which the exact description,

following is a full, clear, and such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in track instruments for the purpose of makweather conditions in such ing and breaking an electrical circuit by which train signals are controlled.

The invention has for its object the provision of a track instrument for the purpose of making and breaking an electrical circuit to control railway and crossin sig-. nals, which said track instrumentwil not be affected by manner that the same will be rendered inoperative.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical circuit make-and-break device adapted to be operated by the action of the railway track under theinfluence of a passing train.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the track instrument, the cover being removed therefrom; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional vieW of the track instrument taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is an elevation view of one of the railway rails, illustrating the application of the track instrument to be operated by the action of the rail; and Fig. 1 is a similar view showing the manner in which the rail is actuated by a passing train.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters. Let the numeral 5 represent a housing, formed of metal or other suitable material. This housing 5 is secured to an arm 6 by means of fastening devices 7, the said housing resting upon the said arm 6. The arm housing 5 and receives 6 extends beyond the the base 8 of a rail 9, the outer extremity of the arm 6 being bent over the said base 8 of the rail, and fastening devices 10 secure the arm 6 to the base of the said rail.

changes in temperature, on

An offset 12 is formedlin the arm 6, so that the housing 5 will be dropped sutficiently below the head 13 of the rail 9 to prevent the housing from being damaged, or engaged by a passing train. It will be seen that the housing 5 is disposed adja cent the rail 9 at right angles to the latter. A contact bar 14 is pivoted in the housing 5 on a post 15,'as shown at 16, one extremity of sald'contact bar 14 extending beyond the housing 5 through an opening 17 in the end of the housing adjacent the rail 9 and engages with one end of an operating lever 18. This operating lever 18 extends parallel with the rail 9 and is pivoted intermediate its extremities to the said rail, as shown at 20, one end of said operating lever being also pivotedtothe said rail, as shown at 21. This operating lever is bent intermediate its extremities to provide for the leverage, the purpose of which will later appear. Spaced apart contact members of an elec-. trical circuit 22 are arranged in the housing 5 at one end of thelatter, the said contact members being designated 23 and 24. The inner end of the contact bar 1 1 is provided with a transverse member 25, which is adapted to bridge the space between the contacts 23 and 2 1 for closing the said electrical circuit 22.

While a train is passing over the track, the rails 9 are caused to bend, as repre sented; in Fig. 4:. The numeral 26 in this fi ure represents a wheel of a train. Now,

is caused to bend and as a consequence actuates the o crating lever 18 on its fulcrum. This operating lever 18 being engaged with the outer extremity of the contact bar 14., will cause the latter to be actuated and dis engage the transverse member 25 from the contacts 23 and 24, thereby breaking the electrical circuit 22. Now, when the train has passed the ivotal point 20 of the operating lever 18, t e latter will assume its normal position, and the contact bar 14 will be actuated back to its circuit closing position with the transverse member 25 in engage ment with the contacts 23 and 24:. The conmal position will actuate the contact bar 14 back to its circuit closing position against the influence of the Weight'27. A spring 28 insures the contact bar 14: moving to its circuit closing position in case the weight of the operating lever 18 fails to return said contact bar;

. It will be understood that railway signals are, as a rule, operated on either the closed circuit principle or the open circuit principle. This invention may, by suitable minor variations inconstruction, be employed in either connection.

The outer extremity of the contact bar 14 is received in a bifurcation in one extremity of the operating lever 18, as shown at 29.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that this invention is designed to be applied to and operated by the action of the rails of the railway track under the influence of the downward movement of the rails when a train is passing over the same.

I The fact that the entire mechanism is atmentalities, or elements tached to and carried by the rails obviates inconsistent expansion and contraction under the influence of weather conditions. But, on the other hand, the various instruof the track instrument will expand and contract in unison housing and having one with the rails, thereby maintaining constantly, under any conditions, their relative positions, and, as a'consequence, insuring positiveand efficient operation at all times. lVhile I have described and illustrated erein a specific form of myinvention, it is understood. that I am not limited thereto and that the invention maybe modified and varied without departing frointhe spirit of the same, or the scope of the appended claims. j

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat entis:

1. A circuit make-andbreak device for railway signals, consisting of a housingsecured to one ofthe rails of'the railway track, circuit contacts positioned Within said housing, 'a contact bar'fulcrumed in said extremity protruding therefrom, said contact bar being disposed at right angles to said rail, an operating lever having one extremity set at an angle, said operating lever being disposed longitudinally with said rail and pivoted intermediate its extremities in the corner of said angle to said rail, the extremity of said operating lever set at an angle extending upwardly and engaged with said rail, and the other extremity of said operating lever engaging said protruding extremity of said contact bar.

2. A circuit make-and-break device for railway signals, comprising a contact bar pivotally mounted, an operating lever having one extremity set at an angle, said operating lever extending longitudinally with said rail and pivoted intermediate its extremities to said rail in the corner of said angle, the extremity of' said operating lever set at an angle extending upwardly and engaged with saidi'ail immediately below the head of the latter, and the other extremity of said operating lever engaging said contact bar.

3. A circuit make-and-break device for railway signals, consisting of a housing socured to one of the rails of the railway track, circuit contacts positioned within said housing, a contact bar fulcrumed in said housing and having one extremity protruding therefrom, said contact bar being disposed at right angles to said rail, an operating lever extending longitudinally with said rail and pivoted intermediate its oxtremities to said rail, one extremity of said operating lever being extended upwardly and engaged with said rail immediately under the head of the latter, the other extremity of said operating lever having a bifurcation therein receiving the protruding extremity of said contact bar, and said contact bar having a weighted part intermediate the point of its fulcrum and said circuit contacts.

In testimony whereof, I a-fiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

YVILLIAM J. COOK.

Witnesses a M. J. POWELL, Jno. G. POWELL. 

